Stevenson and Joyce shine, Mayweather still has it

A critical look at the past week in boxing

OKAY

Shakur Stevenson might be the best pure boxer in the world.

I say this primarily with defense in mind, though he also has elite offensive skills. Robson Conceicao landed just 60 punches (according to CompuBox) during Stevenson’s unanimous decision victory on Friday in Newark, New Jersey.

That’s only five punches per round. Just as surprising, the Brazilian, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, landed just 12% of his total punches thrown. That is Floyd Mayweather territory.

In other words, it’s almost impossible to hit this guy, which will make him hard to beat. That applies to the top fighters at 135 pounds, which Stevenson will fight in the future after losing his 130-pound titles on the scale Friday.

Devin Haney? Wassily Lomachenko? Gervonta Davis (if she fights at lightweight again)? I’m not sure I’d pick any of them to beat Stevenson, although those are all great fights.

What about Stevenson’s relative lack of punching power?

I think that could be a problem in terms of marketing. He will be more popular if he can find ways to stop opponents, particularly those who are clearly outmatched, like Conceicao. The fans love knockouts.

However, I doubt his limited power will stop him in terms of boxing. Mayweather wasn’t much of a puncher, although he did stop a lot of enemies in the first half of his career. Same with Haney and Lomachenko.

In fact, Stevenson’s overall skill set supersedes any individual responsibility, if that is what it is. The combination of skill from him, anticipation, speed and reflexes from him is scary.

And he’s only 25 years old. It’s probably not even at its peak. She enjoys the ride.

BAD

Floyd Mayweather wasted no time with a second round KO of Mikuru Asakura ????

???? @rizin_English pic.twitter.com/Gl45hGUnKI

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) September 25, 2022

The only reason this item is rated “bad” is that I wouldn’t spend more than $29.99 to watch an old retired wrestler train.

That’s what thousands did yesterday (Sunday in Japan), when the 45-year-old Mayweather and Japanese mixed martial artist Mikuru Asakura squared off in a scheduled three-round pay-per-view exhibition in Saitama, Japan.

I understand why some fans would want to see Mayweather in action, even in a pointless display. I liken it to veterans’ baseball games, where it can be fun to watch your retired favorites on the field.

And Mayweather offers a bonus: He can still fight at a pretty high level.

I don’t think he can compete with the best at 147 pounds, guys like Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. Neither does Mayweather, who has made it clear he doesn’t want to jeopardize his health in these exhibitions.

However, he can still overpower non-boxers like Asakura, who was quickly overwhelmed and eventually knocked out in two rounds because he only has rudimentary boxing skills. Mayweather could beat a guy like that in his sleep.

One more thing: Just because he’s not interested in events as an amateur doesn’t mean he has a problem with Mayweather, or anyone else, participating in them.

I am a capitalist. You have a product that many people are interested in buying. As long as that’s the case and Mayweather can perform at a reasonably high level, he’ll probably continue to do so. I would do the same.

He has already talked about a second fight with Conor McGregor or a first with youtuber Jake Paul. And Manny Pacquiao was a guest in Saitama yesterday, sparking speculation that the former rivals could meet at what was sure to be a lucrative exhibition.

Bottom line: Mayweather isn’t going anywhere yet.

WORSE

The Crawford-Spence and Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fights should have been announced by now.

I know I know These things take time. Every detail must be agreed upon by all parties involved before contracts can be signed, which usually requires a lot of diligent work. And yes, that’s how it’s always been in boxing.

It’s still frustrating.

The Crawford-Spence fight is arguably the best possible matchup in boxing, with two undefeated welterweights in the Top 5 pound-for-pound. It’s comparable to Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad, maybe better from a boxing standpoint.

That’s why reports that Crawford and Spence had agreed to terms raised fans’ hopes to such a high degree.

Now, with nothing but silence and no final agreement, people are beginning to wonder if the talks are breaking down. That would be heartbreaking.

Fury-Joshua is a matchup no one expected, at least not now. After all, Joshua has lost back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk, who most of us thought would face Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

The fact is that there is a Fury-Joshua lawsuit, a matchup that has been brewing for years. It could be the biggest fight in British boxing history, with Joshua losses or without Joshua losses. It’s a fun matchup.

Fury and Joshua agreed to split the proceeds 60-40 in favor of Fury. One obstacle seems to be streaming/TV platforms: Fury is aligned with BT Sports, Joshua with DAZN.

Executives from those companies are scheduled to meet on Monday, which is a good sign. They definitely won’t come to an agreement if they don’t talk.

Still, Fury is frustrated that the talks have dragged on. He gave Joshua’s team a deadline of Monday to come to an agreement, which Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, says is unrealistic.

The fans want these fights. There is a lot of money on the table for everyone involved in both. Make them happen.

RABBIT PUNCHES

Joe Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) isn’t the fastest heavyweight or the most athletic. And that doesn’t matter much, as he showed during his knockout victory over former champion Joseph Parker (30-3, 21 KOs) on Saturday in England. Joyce is physically imposing at 6-foot-6, around 270 pounds, well conditioned and has a big chin. He is also a solid and disciplined boxer who knows how to use his advantages against his opponents. He patiently fought behind his long-range jab and followed up with heavy punches that gradually wore Parker down before finishing Kiwi with an epic left hook in the eleventh round. It was a strong performance. Can Joyce beat next level heavyweights Fury, Usyk, Deontay Wilder and Joshua? I don’t know. I think the 37-year-old Londoner has the size, strength, punching power, durability and, yes, the ability to compete with anyone. … Amanda Serrano (43-2-1, 30 KOs) didn’t have much trouble with Denmark’s Sarah Mahfoud (11-1, 3 KOs) on the Joyce-Parker card, winning a unanimous decision to unify three featherweight titles. One thing surprised me: Serrano seemed to fade down the stretch, which shouldn’t happen in 10, 2-minute rounds. Maybe she was too busy earlier in the fight. Maybe there was a factor we don’t know about. Overall, though, she turned in another strong performance. … Stevenson’s inability to make weight for his fight against Conceicao was unprofessional. He admitted it. That said, I’ll take his word that he made a genuine effort to honor the contract he signed. The goal now must be to not let it happen again. Once is a mistake; twice is a pattern.

Gallery

Photos: Floyd Mayweather knocks out Mikuru Asakura on display